rarely heard the _h_ omitted in _humble_, and when I have heard it, always
considered a vulgarity. The _u_ at the beginning of a word is always
aspirated. I believe the only words in which the initial _h_ is not
pronounced are derived from the Latin. If that were the general rule,
which, however, it is not, as in _habit_, _herb_, &c., still, where _h_
precedes _u_, it would be pronounced according to the universal rule for
the aspiration of _u_.

E. H.

_The letter "h" to be passed unsounded in those words which are of Latin
origin._--Try it:

"Ha! 'tis a horrible hallucination
To grudge our hymns their halcyon harmonies,
When in just homage our rapt voices rise
To celebrate our heroes in meet fashion;
Whose hosts each heritage and habitation,
Within these realms of hospitable joy,
Protect securely 'gainst humiliation,
When hostile foes, like harpies, would annoy.
Habituated to the sound of _h_
In history and histrionic art,
We deem the man a homicide of speech,
Maiming humanity in a vital part,
Whose humorous hilarity would treat us,
In lieu of _h_, with a supposed hiatus."

* *.

* * * * *

SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

(Vol. viii., p. 220.)

I have great pleasure in removing from the mind of your correspondent an
erroneous impression which must materially affect his good opinion of a
school to which I am sincerely attached. He asks if in any of the public
schools there are libraries of books giving general information accessible
to the scholars. Now my information only refers to one, that of Eton. There
is a library at Eton consisting of some thousand volumes, filled with books
of all kinds, ancient and modern, valuable and valueless. It is open to the
150 first in the school on payment of eighteen shillings per annum, and on
their refusal the option of becoming subscribers descends to the next in
gradation. The list, however, is never full. The money collected goes to
the support of a librarian, and to buy pens, ink, and paper, and the
surplus (necessarily small) to the purchase of books. The basis of the
library is the set of Delphin classics, presented by George I. The late
head master (now provost) has been a most munificent contributor; Prince
Albert has also presented several valuable volumes. Whenever the Prince has
come to Eton he has always visited the library, and taken great interest in
its welfare; and on his last visit said to the provost th